Heavy snow bypasses Minnesota; snow begins a slow melt

We have a significant snowpack in central and northern Minnesota for this time of year. Fortunately a heavy, wet snowfall tracked from Colorado through Illinois and into Ohio the past 60 hours.

St. Louis, Missouri set a record for a single day snowstorm for March. The 12.4 inches accumulated on Sunday beats the old record of 12.1 inches set more than a 100 years ago. Measurement shown below is for 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. CDT today.

Details on St. Louis snowfall can be found here.

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Snow depth in Minnesota remains at 2 feet or more in some sections of northern Minnesota. Of greater concern is the water content of the snow that totals 3 inches to perhaps as much as 6 inches.

We've experienced a minor amount of snow melt, which will continue through the week. I remind you that flooding is a concern, particularly in the Red River of the north. Flood insurance can offer peace of mind, but has a 30-day waiting period.

Read more about the flood insurance program here.

Perhaps you wish to bookmark the Red River Decision information by clicking here.

Here is an example of the slow melt taking place in my backyard which faces south. I'm seeing some "brown-up."

Temperatures are expected to slowly moderate through the work week and we'll likely see readings in the lower 40s in southern Minnesota on Friday.

So far this March the mercury has reached 40 F (March 14) only once at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. As of this date in 2012, the Twin Cities had reached 50 degrees or better on 18 days.

Looking ahead to Easter Sunday, NOAA's forecasters paint this image for expected high temperatures:

Hard work by the grounds crew and maintenance staff at Target Field has the playing surface and the stands looking like mid-season.

It is still a bit far out to start posting details on the weather for opening day, but the GFS model from today favors an OK afternoon next Monday. You'll have to stay tuned.

Temperatures valid at 7 p.m. CDT Monday, April 1, 2013

Source:NOAA GFS/Twisterdata.com

Plan for a cool day and hope Mother Nature delivers temperatures close to normal. Normal highs approach 50 F in southern and central Minnesota early in April.

Craig Edwards